Listening Skills: The Communication Process

Communication is a process in which information exchange is exchanged through a common system of symbols, signs or behaviors. Human communication is the process that gives meaning to the world and shares this feeling with others. The process consists of three components: verbal, nonverbal and symbolic.

Verbal communication is a communication skill acquired in the formal education system and includes things such as reading, writing, computer skills, e-mail, telephony, writing notes, and conversing with others. Non-verbal communication is the message that is not expressed by verbal means. Non-verbal communication is also known as "body language" and includes facial expressions, posture, gestures, sound, smell, and other communication sensed by the senses. We can not communicate, even if we do not talk, our non-verbal communication will send a message. Symbolic communication is the cars we run, the houses we live in, and the clothes we wear (for example, uniforms – police, military). The most important aspects of symbolic communication are the words we use

Words have no meaning; rather we stick to them by our own interpretation. Thus, our lives, our belief systems, or our perceptual framework define "how to hear the words". Rudyard Kipling wrote, "Of course, words are the most powerful drugs used by mankind." In other words, we hear what we want to hear, what we mean by what the words mean.

According to social scientists, verbal communication skills account for 7% of the communication process. The other 93% consists of non-verbal and symbolic communication and "listening skills". The Chinese characters by the word "listen" say that silence includes the tabs, the eyes, the special attention and the heart.

Listening is listed in many studies as the most significant communication. One of the most common problems of marriage, one of the most important family and social environments, and one of the most important workplace communication skills. People often think that as they hear, hearing is a natural ability. It is not. Listening effectively requires significant skills and exercises and learned skills. Listening skills are described as "listening to our hearts" or "negotiating words."

Listening is a process that consists of five elements: hearing, participation, understanding, answering, and remembering. Listening is the physiological dimension of silence that occurs when sound waves collide with a certain voltage and volume on the ear and affect background noise. Presence is the process of filtering some messages and focusing on others. Understanding happens when we feel a message. The answer is to provide observable feedback to the loudspeaker, such as eye contact and appropriate facial expressions. Remember to recall the information. Listening is not just a passive activity; we are active participants in an active communication transaction.

Practical steps for more effective listening

1. Talk less. One of my students said that when he facilitated the lessons, he always told the students that God had given you a mouth and two ears – tell it something to you

. Get rid of annoying. If it is important to listen, it will do its utmost to eliminate internal and external noises and disturbances that interfere with cautious listening

. Do not condemn before time. We are all guilty of creating and assessing acne judgments before they are heard, especially when the speaker's idea is in conflict with his own.

Find key ideas. We think a lot faster than humans. Focusing the attention (not the bending of boredom) draws the central idea

. Ask honest questions. The questions of the "devil's lawyer" are actually in disguise as allegations or criticisms. Sincere questions are requests for new information that clarify the speaker's thoughts or feelings.

6th Paraphrase. Reword the speaker's thoughts in your own words to ensure that your audience is accurate.

7th Suspend your agenda. In other words, while listening, concentrate on what the speaker did not say, what do you think.

8th Empathic silence. Empathic silence knew you could have done the same thing under the same circumstances. This is the ability to experience the world from the other perspective. This does not necessarily mean you agree, but you understand.

ninth Open your heart in love. We often listen to points and make ourselves and the other person is wrong. When we open our hearts to each other, we pretend that we are all the same. The same emotions, fears and pains: we will do whatever we know.